CWL will work to ban asbestos mining, export

By Deborah Gyapong

Canadian Catholic News

OTTAWA (CCN) — The Catholic Women’s League will be lobbying to end the mining and export of chrysotile asbestos to developing countries by 2015.

Ninety-five per cent of asbestos mined in Canada is exported to other countries and Canada has blocked the addition of the lung cancer-causing mineral to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, said members of the CWL at an Aug. 11 news conference.

CWL past-president Danielle McNeil-Hessian noted Canada has asbestos on the hazardous substances list but is not granting that same protection to the countries that buy it. She said the CWL also hopes that Canada will ban mining asbestos by 2015, a time frame they hope will create opportunities to redirect miners and others dependent on the industry into other lines of work.

The CWL will also be pursuing an income tax credit for families whose children participate in arts or cultural activities, similar to the tax credit for sports. Other resolutions from previous years remain on the lobbying agenda as well.

These are the two new national resolutions that came from the grassroots membership of Canada’s largest women’s organization, to become agenda-setting for meetings with federal and provincial politicians and bureaucrats in the fall and spring of 2010/2011.

Velma Harasen of Regina takes the helm as national president and international relations chair for the next two years, as Danielle McNeil-Hessian moves into the advisory national past president role.

“It will be challenging,” said Harasen. “It’s going to be exiting.”

At each stage of leadership, whether at the parish, diocesan, provincial or national level it’s natural to ask, “Can I do this?” she said. “Can I fulfil the mandate?”

“Yes, with the beautiful women surrounding me and the Holy Spirit, we will do fine,” she said.

McNeil-Hessian noted she and Harasen had already worked closely together for the previous two years.

Betty Anne Brown Davidson is the new president-elect; Barbara Dowding is national first vice-president and community life chair; Mary Nordick is second national vice-president and communications chair; and Judy Lewis fills the national secretary-treasurer position.

“It’s a tremendous responsibility to be the voice of women in Canada,” said Davidson.

The theme for the next two years is that of women of peace and hope centred on faith and justice.

The new national resolutions chair is Anne Gorman while Terri Scott is the national legislation chair.